Bill printing and addressing machine



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BIILL PRINTING AND ADDRESSING MACHINE 4 Filed April 27, 1928 a sheetsusheet s Patented Dec. .25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BILL PRINTING AND ADDRESSING MACHINE Harmon P. Elliott, Watertown, Mass. ApplicationADllil 27, 1928, Serial No. 273,364

26 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to combined stencil-addressing and printingmethods and has particular reference to the combined printing of bills or similar matter and to the addressing thereof by the use of stencils.

The bills of some public utility companies and in particular telephone companies, are made up of multiple detachable sections of which. one or more sections is presented to the subscriber and.'

the other sections are retained by the company and are used in its various-departments. Each section of thebill bears the stencilled address of the subscriber but the printed matter of the sections.y is usually different.

A telephone bill, for instance, may comprise four duplicate sections, two sections going to the subscriber and the other two sections being retained by the telephone company in the different departments thereof.

With telephone bills, especially, the subscribers monthly base rate or exchange service charge may be a part of the stencilled address since this charge remains ilxed until the class of service given the subscriber is changed. Toll and other charges are added to the bill after it is printed and addressed and the bill sections Ahave printed data against which such charges are recorded.

Heretofore, telephone bills have been printed on separate sheets and have been subsequently addressed in a stencil-addressing machine. This system is not particularly satisfactory because of the difficulty encountered in feeding the blank bills accurately, it being found that the address would fail to register properly with the printedv portions of the several sections of the bill. The

address might be made to register with the first section of the bill but, due to slippage and other troubles, it might fail to register with following sections of the bill. Furthermore, when the bills are separately printed, mechanism is necessary to pick-oif a separate bill from a stack of printed bills and to present the bills to the action of the stencil addressing mechanism. While such pickofl' mechanism can be made to operate, its action is not entirely reliable and further necessitates a rather complicated structure.

An object of the present invention is a method of making bills, and especially multi-section bills, and the like which consists in addressing the bills and in printing the bills all as integral parts of the bill-making operation. the paper for the bills being taken from a long strip or a roll and the bill being severed from the strip or roll only after it has been printed and addressed.

A further object of the invention is a combined stencil addressing and printing machine which operates on a long strip or roll of paper to address and also to print the bill sections, and to sever the completely printed and addressed bill from the strip or roll after the bill has been completely printed and addressed.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a machine of thev type above set forth wherein but one paper feeding means is employed to move the paper into and out of stencil addressing position and also in and out of printing position, thus to insure the necessary accuracy of alinement of or registration between the stencilled address and the printed parts of the bill sections, it having been found difficult to obtain such accuracy of registration if a plurality of paper sheet feeding means were employed. Preferably'the sheet feeding means constitutes the bill printing device'; and this constitutes a further object of the invention. In a machine of the type set forth, the print- `ing of the bill is effected by an electro-type of roll form which roll as above set forth constitutes the feeding means for the paper sheet. It is another object of the invention to provide the electro-type roll'with a continuous periphery that is always in driving engagement with the paper sheet sothat the paper sheet is never released while the machine is in operation and thus can not slip and cause the printed matter and addresses to become misalined.

While the electro-typel roll constitutes the means Afor moving the paper strip through the addressing position and also through the printing position, separate means are provided to pull the paper strip off its roll so that it hangs loose and free for the action of the electro-type roll. The electro-type roll can thus move the paper strip 'without any particular effort so that there is no tendency for the paper to slip while in' the driving engagement of the printing roll and thus cause, smudging of the printed matter. 'I'his arrangement constitutes a further object of invention. l

The [stencil addressing section of the machine has a holder in which a pile of superimposed stencils are held in readiness for passage through the addressing position and a stencil receiver into which the stencils are moved after the addresses have been printed. The bill printing roll is located at the end of the addressing section of the machine and in line withthe direction of movement of the stencils through the machine and operates to move the paper strip under the lstencils when they are in printing position. In

theHrw the usual stencil machine, the stencil receiver is located below the path of stencil movement so that the stencils can drop ntothe receiver. Such'an arrangement is not practicable with the present type of machine and consequently la further object of this invention is to locate the stencil receiver inA elevated position above the path of movement of the stencils so that there is a clear passage for the paper strip to the printing roll and under the stencils.

When the paper strip comes olf the roll, it is curved. It is a further object of this invention to provide means to bend the paper strip in a reverse curve, thus to straighten the strip. The straightening means is so arranged that it can bend the paper through a larger or smaller curve thus to compensate for the differences in curvature of the paper strip asy the paper roll becomes smaller.

Since the same address is printed on each section of the bill, it is an object of this invention to provide means whereby the bill Asheet is moved by successive steps of suitable length and whereby each stencil is used as many times as there are bill sections before the stencilis moved out of printing position and a new stencil is brought into use.

A further object of the invention is generally to improve upon printing and stencil addressing machines and methods. y

Fig. l is a- View of a .completely printed and addressed bill which is a product of the machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of a bill strip which is completely addressed and is in readiness to receive the printing matter of the bill sections.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine of Fig. 3 some of the parts being insection and others being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the counting mechanism for the stencil feeding mechanism. p

Fig. '7 is a section taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 4 and illustrating more particularly the stencil pusher.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged front detail of the sheet straightening and tension mechanism of'Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of the mechanism taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is arear view of the bill printing mechanism taken along line 10-10 of Fig. 3, parts of the machine being omittedfor clearness.

Fig. 11 is a detail elevation of the bill severing knife.

Fig. 12 is a view taken along line 12--12 of Fig. 3 illustrating the bill-section perforating mechanism.

Fig. 13 is a detail of the electro-type makeup and the inking rolls and illustrating particularly the means for locking the inking rolls out of contact with both the ink transfer roll and the electrotype roll.

Fig. 14 is a Vdetail illustrating the'operating mechanism for the inking rolls.

Fig. 15 is a plan detail of the rolls for stripping the printed bill from the electro-type roll.

Fig. 16 is a plan detail partly in section, taken along line 16-16 of Fig. 10 and illustrating the inking rolls. i f

Fig. 17 is a` sectional view taken along line. 17-17 of Fig. 18 and illustrating the construction of a bracket for supporting one of the inking rolls.

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the bracket of Fig. 17,"the roll being omitted.

Fig. 19 is ahorizontal section along'line 19-19 of Fig. 10 and `showing the construction of the electro-type roll and associated parts.

Fig.. 20 is a section along line 20--20 of Fig. 19 and illustrating the' construction of the brake mechanism for the electro-type roll. i

Fig. 21 is a section along line 21-21 of Fig. 19 and illustrating the construction of the intermittent feed mechanism for the electro-type roll.

Fig. 22 is an end view of the impression roll or platen. I

Fig. 23 is a sectional view of the impression roll taken along line 23--23 of Fig. 22.V

Fig. 24 is a detail partly in section of the construction of the impression roll at the paper slot therein. y

Fig. 25 is a sectional detail along line 25--25 of Fig. 24. f

Fig. 26 is a plan view showing the construction of a paper strip used with the impression roll.

Fig. 27 is a detail of one of the intermediate paper strips of the roll.

Fig. 28 is a view of the mechanism for drawing the paper strip oi the roll, taken along line 28-28 of Fig. s. v

Fig. 29 is a sectional elevation taken along line 29-29 of Fig. 28.

Fig. 30 is a sectional elevation of the' stencil receiver taken along line 30-30 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 31 is a View of the 4stencil receiver taken at right angles to Fig. 36 and along line 31--31 4of Fig. 4. f

The bill which is one of the products of themachine embodying this inventionv is a telephone bill and illustrated in Fig. 1. The bill is printed on a long strip of paper 40 and is severed from the strip after it is completely printed and addressed.

The bill comprises four sections namely a subscribers bill section a, a subscribers stub section b, and two stubs c and d which are retained by the telephone company. Lines of perforations e separate the sections of the bill so that they can be detached readily. After the bill is made up,` the subscribers section a and stub b are `detached from the remainingstubs and are presented to the subscriber. The remaining stubs c andd are separated for use in separate departments of the telephone company. lIl'he bill has an upper printed section ,f and a lower printed section g, the printing of which is carried out by a type printing mechanism which in the present machine is an electro-type roll. The bill has an intermediate section h in which the address is located and the base service charge both of which are printed thereon by stencils. Each section of the bill bears a date k which is located inmediately above the address space. 'I'he date is carried by the electrof type roll and is duplicated in the sections of the roll which print the sections a, b, and c. The date 7c is also present in the printed section f of the stub d and thus is llocated in the corresponding section of the electro-type roll. The dates are removably connected with the roll so that they can be changed each month or whenever desired.

There is a clear and unobstructed space l immediately under the section f and above the-dates lc of the sections ab, and c. tinuous throughout the length of the billl or at least is continuous between the bill sections and between the printed matter on the sections and the electro-type roll has-a-section which bears upon the paper strip in this locality, whereby said roll is in continuous engagement with the paper This space l is constrip at all times while the machine is in operation so that complete control of the paper strip is assured.

It will be noted that the section a of the bill Jis longer than the remaining sections.I Consequently the feeding of the paper strip is varied in accordance with the length of the sections.

In accordance with thisinvention, the addresses for the various sections of the bill are printed as an integral part of the bill making operation; and the addresses are impressed on the paper sheet fromistencils before the bill is printed up. This method of making the bill has been found to be highly advantageous in that it provides relatively simple mechanism and secures constant registration between the printed matter and the addresses of the sections.

The stencil printing mechanism of the present machine comprises a bed or table 42 which is supported on standards 44. The stencils are caused to move through a track 46 which is located above and in spaced relation with the table 42 and ex-A tends from one end to the other thereof. A stentable and is connected by a link 58 to an operating arm 60 which arm is pivoted on a shaft 62 carried by the xed bracket 64. A platen 66 is disposed beneath the stencil track and the printing roll 54 and is carried at the end of a pivoted arm 68. The reciprocating operating lever 60 has a cam arm 70 that engagesv a roller 72 of the platenwhereby to raise the platen into printing position beneath the stencil and also to move it downwardly out of such printing position. 'I'he lever 60 operates both the platen and the printing roll at the same time. The operating lever 60 is connected by a rod 'I4 to a motor operated power mechanism 76 which receives power through a continuously rotating shaft 78. The power mechanism is common in the art and need not further be described.

'I'he function of the power mechanism is to operate the various parts of the machine, and its operation can be controlled or arrested at will by an operative.

The operating lever 68 also has an arm 79 connected therewith. Said arm has a cam slot 80 which operates a cam follower 82 that is connected with a vertical hub 84, thus to reciprocate said hub angularly. `A horizontally extended arm 86 is connected to and reciprocates with said hub and is pivotally connected atl its free end| with a horizontally extended link 88 that has a. longitudinally elongated slot 90 therein provided with an off/set section 92 in the free end thereof. A pusher carrier 94 has a pin 96 which is located in said s lot. Said pusher carrier is slidable beneath said stencil holder 48 and has a pusher 98 detachably connected therewith which is reciprocated into and out of engagement with the lowermost stencil in the pile to move it out of the pile and into the stencil track. 'I'he stencil pusher .is operated by the link 88 as -it reciprocates and the slot 90 in said rod permits the pusher to be operatively disconnected from the remaining operating mechanism of the address section of the machine so that the stencils can beheld stationary in the stencil track and repeated imprints of the address borne by each stencil can be made on the various sections of each bill. A spring is stretched between the link 88 and the arm 86 and thus tends to maintain the link in such position that the pin 96 is in the lateral extension 92 of the slot, thus to vconnect the link operatively with the pusher.

Mechanism is provided to hold the link 88 in disconnected relation with the pusher, so that the arm 86 and associated mechanism can reciprocate Without moving the stencils. The link disabling mechanismincludes amultilobed cam 102 which is pivoted on a bracket 104 carried by and located beneath the bed 42. Said cam is also provided with a series of ratchet teeth 106 and a disc having Aa series of notches 108 which are located in line with the ratchet teeth. A leaf spring 110 fits releasably into any one of said notches 108, thus to hold the cam against unintentional movement. An arm 112 is pivoted concentrically with the cam and is connected with said reciprocating armr 86 by a link 114. Said arm carries a spring pressed pivoted pawl 116 which is arranged to engage the ratchet teeth 106. Thus each reciprocatory movement of said arm 86 serves to advance the cam by the extent of one tooth. An arm 118 is pivoted to said bracket 10'4 and carries two rolls of which the roll 120 engages the link 88 and the roll-122 engages the cam 102. Thus, when the roller 122 falls into one of the notches 124 between the lobe's of the cam, the spring 100 causes the arm 88 to move into operative engagement with the pusher so that the pusher can be reciprocated. The peripheral extent of the notches 124 is such that y'one reciprocatory 4movement of the arm 86 brings the roller 122 out'of the notch and onto a lobel of the cam, thus to disconnect the pusher from its reciprocating mechanism. The peripheral extent of the lobes of the cam between the notches thereof is such that @he arm 86 can make three complete reciprocatory movements without a change of stencils. Each stencil is thus caused to make four impressions on the bill strip.

The printing' roller 54 receives ink in a more or less common manner from the ink roll 126. Ink is supplied to said roll by any suitable or usual mechanism 128 which need not be further described.

Since the stencil receiver 52 is located above the stencil tracks, means are provided to raise the stencils from the tracks and deliver them suc- -Patent No. 1,210,440, dated January 2, 1917. It

comprises essentially a casing into the bottom of which the stencils are delivered from the stencil track, see Figs. 4, 30, and 31. -The side walls of the `casing have opposed circulargrooves 132 in which the opposite ends of the stencils are located. A shaft 134 is jurnalled in the casing and carries a hub 136 to which is pivoted a pair of spring pressed arms 138. Said arms lie close to the opposite end walls of the casing and overlie the stencil grooves therein. When the shaft 134 rotates, said arms are carried around with it and move the stencil upwardly in said circular grooves and into the teeth ofa pair of opposed worms which are located at the top of the casing opposite the grooves 132 therein and immediately under the stencil receiver. Said worms are driven by gears 142 from the shaft134 and serve to elevate the raised stencil above the circular grooves 132 and into the receiver. .The top faces of the vworms form supports for the pile of stencils in the holder. While this particular apparatus is not novel, per se, its combination with the other operative components of the machine, so that the billing strip can pass under the stencil receiver to the printing mechanism'hereinafter to be described, is considered novel.

The bill printing and associated mechanism is carried by the table 42 immediately in the rear, or at the left, Fig'. 3, of the stencil receiver 52. The printing mechanism includes an electro-type roll which prints and also drives the paper sheet, mechanism for inkingthe electro-type roll, and mechanism for perforating the bill between the sections and for severing the completed bill from the strip.

The power for operating these mechanisms is obtained from the power mechanism 76. A shaft 144 is journalledin suitable brackets at the rear of the table 42 and is driven from the shaft 78 of the power mechanism by a belt 146. Said shaft 144 serves to drive theinking mechanisms for both the stencil addressing mechanism and the bill printing mechanism. A second power-actuated shaft 148 is located beneath the table 42 and is positively driven from the shaft 78 by a chain 150 and speed reducing gearing 152. Said shaft 148 thus has a positive driving connection with the shaft 78 so that the printing mechanism can operate in timed relation with the stencil operating mechanism. i

A counter shaft 154 is supported inbearings above and at the rear of the table 42 and has a large gear 156 thereon which is driven from the an interposed idler gear 160, see especially Figs. 4

and 10. Said countershaft serves to operate the bill printing, perforating and severing mechaf nisms. The shaft 134 of the stencil elevating mechanism is driven from the main shaft 148 by sprockets and a chain 162 so that the stencil elevating mechanism operates in timed relation with the other components of the machine.

The bill printing mechanism includes an electro-type roll 164 which is loose on a shaft 166 journalled in opposed standards 168 and .170 rising above the table 42 and located on opposite sides of the line of movement of the bill sheet. The printing roll is illustrated specifically in Figs. 10, 19, 20, and 21.

and hasa drum composed of four sections, three of the sections 177 beingof the same peripheral extent and corresponding to the bill sections b, c,

and d, Fig. 1, andthe fourth section 178 of greater length and corresponding to the length` of the bill section a. 'I'he periphery of the drum isprovided with a raised continuous ledge' 180 which is located on the periphery to register with the blank electro-types are adapted to be retained in said groove to print the sections f of the `bill sections. The electro-types are retained removably in place by undercut segments 184 which are removably connected with the drum, or the sections thereof. The drum is also provided with dove-tailed grooves 186 in its sections in which type is adapted The electro-type roll comprises a hub 172 which is loose on said shaft 166 to be inserted to print the dates k of the bill. This type can be removed and changed each month or whenever desired. The drum is also provided with another dove-tailed groove 188 which corresponds to the section g of the bill and is adapted to receive electro-types for printing this part of the bill.l The electro-types are held in place by segments 190 which are secured to the end of the drum sections 'by screws 192. The drum is adapted to be rotated intermittently in one direction.

Brake mechanism is provided to hold the drum against movement when the driving force thereon is removed. The brake mechanism includes a brake drum 194 which is integral with the hub 172 and is located at one end thereof and adjacent the bearing standard 168. A pair of brake shoes 196 encircle said drum and have brake linings 198 that bear thereagainst.

thereof and have depending lugs 202 at the lower ends between which a spring 204 is stretched, whereby to maintain the brake shoes in constant frictional engagement with the brake drum. rAdditional pressure applying means is provided which comprises arms 206 bearing at their one ends against intermediate portions of the brake shoes and at their other ends against the side faces of the standard 168. Screws 208 are passed loosely through said arms 206 and are screw threaded into said standard and have compression springs 210-which encircle the screws and bear against said arms thus urging them inward and against the brake shoes.

The printing or electro-type roll is driven in termittently by steps the lengths of which correspond with the peripheral extent'of the roll and bill sections. To this end, the hub 172 is provided with a ratchet wheel 212 which has ratchet teeth 214 on the periphery thereof, which teeth are so located with respect to the ends of the during each step movement of the roll. The

spacing betweenthe teeth 214 corresponds with the peripheral extensions of the electro-type section. Tnus the spacing between two of the teeth is longer than between theLother teeth, the increased length being proportional to the increased length of the section 178 over the other sections.

The roll is driven by an arm 216 which is fixed to the shaft 166 and reciprocates with said shaft.

A pawl 218 is pivoted tosaid arm and has a projection 220 that is constantly urged for driving engagement with the ratchet teeth by a tension spring 222. The stroke of said arm 216 is adapted to be sufficient to move it throughout' the greatest space between the teeth and engage the teeth successively. The shorter spacing between the teeth is adaptedto be such that ,the arm or the pawl thereof can not move the ratchet wheel more than the distance between the successiveVVV teeth at each stroke.

The shaft 166 isl reciprcated by means of a gear 224 which is fixed to said shaft and engages a rack 226 which is vertically slidable in a guideway 22,8, Fig. 4; ofthe standard 170 and a registering guideway in the table 42. The rack is reciprocated, see Fig. 10, by a connecting rod 230 that is pivoted at its upper end to the middle of the rack and at its lower end to a crank arm 232 xed to the end of the driving shaft 148. Thus, as said driving shaft'continuously revolves, said shaft 166 is given a reciprocatory movement which lus from the shaft 144 by a belt 247 which connects through the ratchet wheel 212 and arm 216` results in an intermittent movement of the printing roll in one direction. f'

, Ink is supplied to the electro-type or printing roll 164 by an inking mechanism which includes A pair of inking rollers 250 and 252 are provided Vto transfer ink from the spreading roll to the electro-type roll. The ink roll 250 is journalled on a shaft carried by arms 254 which are fixed to the shaft 240. The ink roll 252 is carried by a frame 256, see Figs. 17 and 18, having outstanding arms 2,58 which carry a shaft that supports the roll 252. 'I'he rolls 250 and 252 are thus on opposite sides of the shaft 240.

The inking mechanism is driven continuously said shaft with a shaft 249 of the inking'mechanism.

It has been found that if the ink rolls were in continuous engagement with the intermittently movable electro-type roll, they would leave a heavy line of ink on the electro-type roll when it was stationary. Consequently means are provided by which the inking rolls are in contact with the electro-type roll only when said electrotype roll is moving and are out of contact with said electro-type roll and are in contact with the spreading roll 234 when the electro-type roll is stationary. Said means includes an arm 260 which is fixed tothe shaft 240 and thus can raise and lower the roll 250. A second and opposed arm 262 is xed to a tube 264 that encircles the shaft 240 and is fixed to the frame 256 that carries the other ink roll 252 so that said arm 262 can raise and lower the roll 252. Said opposed arms are provided with screws or pins 266 that operate in -vertically elongated slots 268 and the upper horizontal extensions 268a thereof are formed in a pair'of vertical levers 270 that are provided at their upper ends with finger extensions 272. Said arms are normally urged apart by a compression spring 274 carried by and located between said levers, see Fig. 14. The lower ends of said levers are independently pivoted to oppositely outstanding arms 276, see Figs. 14 and 19, that are loose on the shaft 166 that supports the electro-type roll.

Cam rollers are carried by said arms 276 and are disposed above and are adapted to be engaged by the four teeth 280 of separateV star wheels 282 that are carried by the couterxshaft 154, see Figs. 14, and 4. The spring 274 bears on said levers 270 and thus serves to maintain the pins 266 associated with the inking rolls in the slot-extensions 268a, thus to maintain the s.

levers in operative engagement with the ink rolls. Consequently, as said arms 276;-are raised and lowered by the teeth 280 of the star wheels, the

rolls will be alternately loweredA to engage the when said cam member is urged toward the left,

wardlydnto engagement with the electroetyp'e roll vas it starts to rotate and is moved away from engagement with said roll when it stops. The spacing between the teeth of said star wheel corresponds with the varying lengths of the sections 5 of the electro-type roll. j 'I'he ink rolls 250 and 252 are provided withy aligned continuous peripheral grooves 251 and' 253 respectively which are located in the rolls to register with the latch 180 of the printing roll so 10 that the driving face of the ledge is maintained V free from ink.

It is desirable sometimes to permit the operative to hold the ink roll out of engagement with the electro-type roll as, for instance, when the operative nds that the electro-type roll is becoming too heavily inked'. lThis can. be done by pressing the levers 270 inwardly toward each other by engagement of the finger extensions 272. This movement will cause the pins 266 associated `with said ink rolls to occupy the elongated slots 268 in said' levers. The lengths of said slots are greater than the throw of said levers.- Consequently, the rolls willbe held in operated position by their springs 284 regardless of the vertical reciprocatory movement of said levers.

It is also desirable to hold said ink rolls out of engagement with both the electro-type roll and the ink spreading roll as, for instance, when the machine is not in use or adjustments are 3o made thereto. To this end, a cam member 286, I Figs. 10v and 13, is located over the supporting arms for the ink rolls and -at one side of the ink spreading roll. Said cam member is loosely connected with the shaft 236 of the spreading roll, which shaft passes through va vertically elongated slot 288 of the cam member. The cam member has a bushing 290 which is rotatable therein and is eccentrically connected with a. shaft 292 that is journalled in one of the standards 238 and has an operating handle r294 fixed to itsv outer end. Thus, by reciprocating said handle, the cam member can be moved to the right and to' the left. The cam member has a cam face 296 at its lower end which overlies one of the supporting arms 258 of the ink roller 252. The cam face also has a projection 298 which overlies and is adapted tty-engage one of the supporting arms 254 of the ink roller 250. Thus,

Fig. 13, the projection 298 is caused to engage the arm 254 and lower the ink roll 250 from engagement with the spreading roll. The same movement serves to tilt the cam member 286 and cause the cam face 296 thereof to press against the arm 258 of the other ink roll, thus also to lower it from engagement with the spreading roll. The cam member -is held releasably in either one of its positions by a spring pressed pin 300, see Figs. 10 and 3, carried by a bracket 299 adapted to seat'in either one of two recesses in the handle'294.

An impression cylinder, platen, or make-up roll 302 is disposed beneath the electro-type roll 164 and operates through an opening in the. table 42 and cooperates with the electro-type roll `to support'the bill strip as the electro-type roll ceiver 52 and includes a driving roller 348 fixedand vut of cooperative relation with the electrotype roll. A spring urged latch 316, see Fig. 3, is in normal engagement with a notch in the eccentric section 310 of said shaft for the purpose of holding said impression roll releasably in operative position.

The periphery of the impression roll is covered with several superimposed layers of paper strips 318, Figs. 26 and 27, the ends of which are located in an axially ,extended peripheral slot 320 of the make-up roll. A strip retaining bar 322 `is located removably in a groove 324 of said roll at said slot and has projections 326 which extend into said slot and into perforations -328 at one end of the paper strips. The other end of the paper. strip is provided with notches 330 in which said projections are received. The ends of the paper strips are clamped to each other and to the impression roll by Va. bar 332 which is integral with an arm 334 carried by a shaft 336 journalled in the end walls of the roll. An arm 338 is xed to said shaft externally of the impression roll and in a recess in the end vwall thereof and has a pressure screw 340 that bears against the' wall of theY recess and thus clamps the bar 332 against the ends of the paper strips. One of the intermediate paper strips may have patches 342, Fig. 27, applied in the usual manner to increase the printing pressure between selected parts of the electro-'type roll and the bill strip whereby to obtain a uniform imprint of type that might otherwise be printed faintly.

The impression roll is driven bythe electrotype roll and to this end the electro-type roll has a gear 344 -fixed thereto which meshes with a similar gear 346 xed to the electro-type. The teeth of both rolls are suniciently long to.y permit the make-up roll to move downwardly out of pressure applying relation with the electrotype roll while maintaining the driving connection between the rolls. i

The,paper for printing the bills is contained in a large roll 40a, Fig. 3, and is drawn from said roll by feeding mechanism which is adapted to remove thepaper at a. rate which is slightly in excess' of the rate of movement .of the paper by the electro-type roll. The feeding mechanism is illustrated vin Figs. 3, 28 and 29.

I'hefeeding mechanism is located beneath and is carried bythe table 42 under the stencil reto a shaft 350 which is journalled in brackets 352 carried by the table 42. 'Ihe driving roll has .end flanges 354 which retain the paper strip against movement axially of the. roller. The roll isdriven by bevel gears 356 from the main driving vshaft 148. A pressure roller 358 is located above saidl driving roll and is normally urged toward said roll whereby to hold the paper strip vSaid pressure roll can be moved upwardly out of cooperative relation with the pressure roll by a handle 368 which is iixed to said shaft 364. A guide roll 370 is journalled .on said shaft 364 and serves to-Wrap the paper strip partially about the driving ron. l

The paper strip is adapted to feed into a loop'` 40h which hangs free', and the electro-type roll is adapted to draw the paper strip from the loop. The paper strip thus is free to move under the electro-type roll without the necessity for rotating the paper roll 40a.

The paper feeding mechanism is adapted to A withdraw the paper strip from the paper roll 40a at a rate which is slightly greater than the rate `of movement of the paper strip under the action of .the electro-type roll. Consequently, the paper loop 40h tends to increase inlength so that the operative is required to watch the paper loop and to disable the feeding mechanism momentarily, by manipulation of` the handle 368, when the paper loop becomes too long or drags on'the floor, thus to enable the electro-type roll to take up the excess amount of paper before the feeding mechanism is again put into operation.

The paper strip passes from the loop over a guide roll 371, Fig. 3, and thence toward the right immediately above the table and under the stencil tracks 46.l At the right of the stencil printing mechanism, the paper strip is wrapped over a cylindrical bar 372 located above the table under the stencil tracks, and has its direction of y movement reversed. The bar 372 is ixed in slotted brackets 374 through the slots of which clamping screws 376 are passed, see Figs. 4, 8 and 9, whereby to secure the bar in adjusted position beneath the stencil track. The brackets 374 also act as guides to prevent sidewise movement of the bill strip. The strip in passing over the bar 372 is deilected downwardly and immediately over its bottom pass by a bar 378'xed in the ends of arms 380 that have longitudinally elongated slots 382 therein through which clamping screws 384 are passed and are screw threaded into the brackets 374. As thus arranged the bar 378 can be moved toward and als'o away from the bar 372.

Said bars constitute a tension mechanism which serves to keep the paper taut under the stencil during the addressing operation. Said bars also constitute mechanism to remove the curl from the paper strip since they act to flex the paper strip in a direction which is opposite to the direction of the curl .of the strip. As the roller 40a becomes smaller the curl in the paper strip becomes greater. 'lghe bar 378 is adapted ton be moved closerto the fixed bar 372 thereby to increase the bend of the paper in the opposite direction and compensate for the increased curve of the strip.

The bill strip immediately and prior to passing into the bite of the electro-type and impression. rolls i's caused to receive transverse lines of perforations e, Fig. l, between the bill sections.- The perforating mechanism, see Figs. 3, 4 and 12, in-

cludes a bar 386 which is carried by the table 42 andV has a horizontal slot 388 therein through which the paper strip is threaded. Said bar is also .provided with a vertical s lot therein into and` outof which a toothed perforating plate 390 can reciprocate into and out of contact with the paper strip when it is stationary. Said plate 390 is fixed/to a reciprocatory arm 392 that is pivoted on a shaft 394 that is constantly urged for movement in a clockwise direction by a tensile spring 396 carried by an extension 398 of said arm. Said arm is released for reciprocatory movement by a disc 400 iixed to and driven by the counter- -shaft 154. The arm 392 has a roller 402 which is adapted to pass into the successive notches 404 formed in the periphery of said disc,'thus to permit the spring 396 to move the toothed plate 390 into contact with the paper strip. Three notches 404 are here shown which permit`making, the three lines of perforations between the short section's of the bill. The bill is not perforated at the end thereof where it is to be severed from the strip, and consequently the peripheral spacing between two of the notches 404 is greater than between other notches. f

'I'he bill strip has a tendency to adhere to the electro-type roll by reason of the ink thereon. Consequently mechanism is provided to detach the printed paper stripfrom its adherency with saidy roll. Said mechanism, see Figs. 3, 4, and l5, com- Cel prises a bracket 406 which is supported in elevated position above the table 42 at the discharge of the electro-type roll and above the path of movement of the bill strip. A supporting member 408 is disposed beneath said bracket and is pivoted thereto at 410 and has springs 412 which urge it in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3. Said supporting member has a pair of opposed arms 414 in which a shaft 416'is axially movable: Rollers 418 are journalled on said shaft and engage with the top or printed face ofthe bill strip. The shaft and its roller are adjustable laterally so that the rollers can engage vunprinted sections of the bill strip. The completely printed and addressed bill passes from the electro-type roll and under the stripping mechanism to a severing mechanism which is shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 11. The severing mechanism includes a bracket 420 fixed to the end of the table 42 in line with the path of movement of the bill strip and has a knife blade 422 attached thereto. A reciprocable severing knife 424 c ooperates with said knifeblade and is pivoted to said bracket 420 by a screw 426. Said blade is biased lfor shearing movement by a tensile spring 428 connected to said bar '420 and toa fixed support 430. The cutting movement of said blade 424, under action of said spring 428, is governed by a disc 432, fixed to the countershaft 154. Said disc has a notch 434 therein into which a roller 436 carried by the blade 424 is adapted to `fallwhereby to permit the spring 428A to operate the knife blade and shear off the completed bill. Theside walls of the notch in the disc serve to elevate the blade into its inoperative position shown in Fig. 11. -A pressure member 438 bears yieldingly upon the paper strip in front of the severing knife or shears to hold the paper stripdown upon the table as the knife 424- is raised upwardly. The separate completely printed and' addressed bills fall into an inclined tray 440 from which they can be removed from time to time.

'I'he operation of the parts is essentially as follows: Paper is withdrawn from the roll 40a in a continuous manner and forms into theloop 40h. The electro-type roll withdraws the paper from' the loop in an intermittent or step by step manner. While the paper is stationary, the addressing mechanism operates to print the address on the paper strip. Four addresses are here printed before the stencil is moved out of printing position and a new stencil is brought into action. During three stationary periods of the paper strip, the perforating mechanism operates to perforate the paper str ip between the bill sections. During the next following stationary period, the perforating mechanism is idle. At this period, Ythe severing mechanism severs the completely printed bill from the paper strip. If, however, the severing knife was .at a greater or less distance from the electro-typeroll, it might operate at the same time the perforating mechanism operated. At each movement of the electro-type roll, one of the bill sections is printed;

I claim:

1. A bill addressing and printing machine having addressing mechanism and printing mechanism from one to the other of which mechanisms a bill sheet is adapted tobe moved in the order named, said addressing mechanism having means to print the same address a determined number of times and thereupon to select a different address for addressing the succeeding bill sheet, operating means for said mechanisms arranged to effect the addressing of the sheet when the sheet is at the addressing mechanism and to effect the subsequent printing of the sheet when the sheet is subsequently at the printing mechanism, and sheet advancing mechanism arranged to advance a bill sheet through the addressing mechanism and through the printing mechanism at the same `rate of movement.

2. A machinel for printing and addressing multi-section bills having reciprocating stencil addressing mechanism, perforating mechanism, rotary printing mechanism, and severing mechanism, all arranged in line in the order named, said perforating and severing mechanisms' being independent of the printing and addressingi elements ofsaid printing and addressing mechanisms, and operating means for said mechanisms effective to present a bill section of a paper sheet successively at the same rate of movement to the anism, operating means for said4 mechanisms including means effective to move al bill section of a paper sheetto the action of said mechanisms in succession and out of the reciprocating addressing mechanism and into the rotary printing mechanism at the same rate of speed, said printing mechanism having printing means to print."`

the body of the sections'of the bill and said stencil mechanism having stencil feeding means and means to apply the address of a single stencil successively to the paper sheet in successive localities wherein the addresses will register with the printed bodies of all of the sections and thence to 'replace the stencil with a' different stencil.v ,y i 4. A machine for printing and laddressing mul'- ti-sectionbills'having reciprocating stencil addressing mechanism, rotary printing mechanism,

operating means for both the aforesaid mechanisms including means effective to hold a sheet taut between said mechanims and to move suc- I cessive sections of the tautlsheet in succession to the actions of said mechanisms, said stencil addressing` mechanism having means to effect the repeated impression of the same stencil in differ- -ent localities on the paper sheet and thereafter to replace the stencil by a different stencil, and

,. said printing mechanism having means to print successive stencils into and out of addressing po- F sition, addressing'means operable on the stencils when they are in addressing position to apply the addresses thereon to the paper sheet, means to effect the repeated operationvof said addressing means on each stencil while it is in printing dress is repeated in different sections orr the paper sheet, said printing mechanism having means to print the body of the sections of the bill in localities which are in register with the successive addresses on the sheet, and means to hold the sheet taut from one mechanism to the other and to advance the taut sheet.

6. A printing and addressing machinecomprising stencil addressing mechanism. including means to move a plurality of stencils in successive order into andv out of addressing position and to effect a plurality of addressing operations upon each stencil when it is in addressing position, and type printing mechanism, said type printing mechanism and said stencil addressing mechanism arranged to operate on a paper sheet which is moved in succession between said mechanisms,

and said type printing mechanism having means /cessive sections of a papersheet in a step by step manner into and out of the action of said addressing mechanism, means to present a loop of.

paper to the action of said paper moving means, and means to feed paper to said loop in a continuous manner, said paper moving means also constituting printing mechanism which prints upon the sheet. l Y

8. In an addressing machine, the combination of addressing mechanism having elements which reciprocate into and out of engagement with a paper sheet, normally continuously operated means to deliver a long sheet of paper in loop form, and intermittently operated means to withdraw the paper sheet from the loop -and move it through the action of .said addressing mechanism, said paper moving vmeans also constituting printing means which prints upon'the paper sheet.

9. A printing and stencil addressing machine having stencil addressing mechanism and printing mechanism between which a paper sheet is adapted to be moved in succession, said printing mechanism including a printing roll whichv constitutes means to move the paper sheet through the action of said addressing mechanism, and said printing roll having a sheet engaging face which has a continuous peripheral engagement with the sheet, and means which positively holds said roll stationary at definite positions thereof.

10. In a strip-bill printing and multiple-addressing machine having one mechanism for printing aset of unchanging legends distributed over separate sectional areas arranged length wise oi such strip, and another mechanism for printing a single name and address once on`each of a plurality of sections of any one strip.

vof said printing mechanisms and to locate the vbeginning of the strip bill in the' address printving mechanismvin predetermined register with the beginning of an address and the beginning ofl the strip bill in legend printing mechanism in predetermined register with the beginning of the legend; whereby uniform registration inl all bills between said unchanging legends and said changing names and addresses is assured and any slight initial error in such registration is non-cumulative throughout an unlimited number of operations, said legend printing mechanism comprising a rotary type cylinder, and said feeding device comprising gripping means operated by said cylinder, and a pawl and ratchet wheel mechanism arranged to give unequal intermittent partial rotation to said cylinder.

11. In a strip-bill printing and multipleaddressing machine having mechanism for printing a standardized set of legends distributed over Vseparate `sectional areas arranged lengthwise of such strip, means flor printing a single but Vari-v able name and address once on each of a plurality of sections of such strip, and a device for intermittently feeding said strip by steps of different amounts through said name-printing means, the combination with said above recited apparatus, of. means for positively holding vsaid strip against advance from successive predetermined positions with reference to said name printing means throughout each period between successive operations of said feeding device, whereby there is ensured accurate registration oi the name and address with the other printed matter on each bill section, said mechanism for printing said standardized llegends comprising a revoluble type-bearing cylinder, and saidfstrip feeding device comprising an annular, `full faced section on said cylinder.

l2. In a strip-bill printing and multipleaddressing machine having mechanism for printing a standardized set of legends distributed over separate sectional areas arranged lengthwise of such strip, means for printing a single'but vari- .able name and address once on each of a plurality of sections of such strip, and a device for intermittently feeding said strip by steps of different amounts through said name-printing means, the combination with said above recitedl apparatus, of means for positively holding said lsaid strip feeding device and said strip holding means comprising an annular, full faced section on', said type-bearing cylinder free from. type forming depressions, together with apparatus adapted to give said cylinders intermittent partial rotations.

13. In an apparatus for printing and addressing a series of multisection bills for public service corporations, and the like purposes, which said apparatus comprises a rotary printing mechanism adapted to print repetitions of an unchangtional areas of a strip -of paper which are arranged in line one with another, and reciprocating platen mechanism adapted to print a succession of names and addresses, each one of said,A

namesbeing repeated upon each of several sectionsof each particular bill only, the combination '.65 ing set of legends distributed over separate secwith said above recited apparatus of means arranged to move said bill strip along a continuously uniform straight path between said mechanisms corporations, and the like purposes, which said apparatus comprises a rotary printing mechanism adapted to print repetitions of an unchanging set of legends distributed over separate sectional areas of a strip of paper which are arranged in line one with another, and reciprocating platen mechanism adapted to print a succession of names and addresses, each one of said names being repeated upon eachVV of several sections of each particular bill only, the combination, with said above recited apparatus, of means adaptedv to move said bill strip along a straight path between said printing mechanisms together with a positive stop device associated with said strip moving means adapted to cause said strip to come to rest,.before,eachname printing operation with its section on which the name is then to be printed at a predetermined, exact distance from said legend printing mechanism, Iwhereby there is ensured accurate registration between each printed name and the portion of the legend to be associated therewith on each section of the completed printed bill. 1

15. A combination such as defined in claim 14 in which roller sections rigidly connected to said rotary printing mechanism form part of said strip moving means, and a pawl and ratchet wheel deviceand stop therefor form part of said strip moving and stop mechanism.

16. A multi-section bill printingand vaddressing apparatus comprising, in combination, a rotary web-printing press comprising web feeding means adapted to print repetitions of an unchanging legend, one on each bill length of such web, mechanism for giving said rotary press a series of intermittent partial rotations each adapted to print. one section of said bill with intervening periods of rest, an intermittently loperating platen pressv located on the intake side l of said rotary press and adapted to operate on the web of paper before it is drawn into said rotary press, gearing connecting the two presses timed to cause saidv platen press to grip said web only while the rotary press is at rest, a track for stencils passing through said platen press, a magazine -for stencils at one end of said track, a plurality of stencils stacked therein, and

f means for feeding them one at a time along said track to said `platen press during the periodsof movements of said web, said feeding means being adapted to operate only once for veach complete revolution of said rotary press; where- .by,.each of a series of names and addresses is stencilled upon each of the sections of aA bill length of said web, and said bill length then fed` to the rotary press and the unchanging legend printed thereon in registry with said names and addresses. l l y 17.,.In a-printing vmachine having means for printing a plurality of repetitions of periodically changing data on a strip, and means for printing unchanging data on the strip, and, in combination therewith, a single feeding device for advancing al taut strip'intermittently byv steps of predetermined and different lengths through said mins-data printing means and positioning th strip in said unchanging-data printing means 18. In a printing machine, the combination of means having a continuous uninterrupted driving vengagement with a bill strip for feeding it through the machine, means for printing a plurality of repetitions of periodically changing data at predetermined and successively different intervals on the bill strip, and means for printing I an unchanging impression in predetermined and unchanging relation with said periodicallychanging data, and means for operating said bill strip feeding means to advance the bill strip intermittently successively different distances through said changing data printing means between operations thereof.

19. In a printing machine, the combination of means having acontinuous uninterrupted driving engagement with a web for feeding it through the machine, means for intermittently driving said means by successively variable and unchanging amounts, means for printing a plurality of repetitions of periodically changing data at predetermined and successively diiferent intervals on theweb, and means for printing an unchanging impression in predetermined and unchanging relation with said periodically. changing data 20. In a printing machine, means for feeding successive long and short unchanging lengths of a web through the machine including feed rolls having a continuous and uninterrupted driving engagement with the web, driving means for at least one of said rolls having an intermittent driving connection therewith of successively variable extent, means for printing a plurality of repetitions of periodically changing data on said` long and short unchanging lengths, and'means for printing unchanging data on said unchanging lengths in predetermined and unchanging relation with said changing data.

21. In a printing machine, means for printing a plurality of repetitions of periodically changing data at upredetermined and successivelyl variable intervals on a bill sheet, type means for printing unchanging data lat predetermined and successively variable intervals on the-sheet, and means for effecting the constant and unchangingv registration of the periodically changing data and unchanging data on the sheet including a single pair of sheet-feeding rolls which advance through the action of both aforesaidmeans by successive long and short lengths, each of which locations'of the'bill, said'successive positioning members-being successively spaced apart along said bill driving face by distances corresponding to the distances between successive address este locations, at least one of said positioning members having a predetermined relation with respect to a predeterminedpart of said data printing means. and means which brings said positioning members successively into play and which in combination with ssiapositioning membersV tween said addressing and eiect the positive registration of the unchanging and changing data on each bill and on all successive bills. Y

23. A machine for printing and addressing a series of bills having different addresses and common printed' matter with the printed data and istration between the address and the data or' any bill blank is not cumulative in the successive bill blanks, said means comprising means forV intermittently advancing the successive bill blanks by steps of diierent length while lying ilat beprinting mechanisms, bill-blank positioning means including means for stopping each bill blank successively with part on which the printed matter is to be printed in the same predetermined positions, means for operating said addressing mechanism to apply the address to successive portions of the blank bills when the bill blank is stationary in such successive positions, cluding means for starting the feeding of the bill blank to be printed with the part on which the printed matter is to be printed in exact invariable predetermined relation to said printing -de vice, and means for operating said printing mechanism to printthe printed matter on the bill blank in exact predetermined relation to the addresses thereon, whereby the possibility of cumulative error in the relation of the printed matter to. the addresses in successive bills is avoided.

24. A bill addressing and printing machine having addressing mechanism and printing mechanism from one to the other of 4which mechanisms a bill strip is adapted to be moved, said addressing mechanism. having means for presenting a plurality ol.' address bearing plates successively inthe same addressing position, means to print the same address a predetermined number of times and thereupon to selecta different address plate for addressing a succeeding bill strip, said printing mechanism having type characters located at a printing position for printing a set of unchanging legends distributed over separate sectional areas of said strip and for repeating said set of legends on successive strips, and a strip advancing device including a strip drivingwmember having-a strip driving face that moves in the direction of advance of the sheet, a plurality of successively operable strippositioning members distributed lengthwise o! the said positioning means in-` said race and successively spacedapart by distances corresponding to the distances between -successive addresses, which device advances the strip bill intermittently by steps of4 different length corresponding to the spacing between successive positioning members through the address position and locates the beginning of the strip bill in the addressing position in predeter- .mined register with the beginning of the address on an address plate, and the beginning of the strip bill in the printing position in predetermined register with the beginning of the set of legends provided by said type characters, whereby the possibility of cumulative error in the relation of the printed matter to the addresses in successive bills isavoided.

25. In a printing machine for printing a series oi bills wherein each. bill has spaced repetitions of the same address and printed data in register with the addresses and successive bills have thel same printed data and diilerent addresses, said machine comprising revolvable data printing forms circumlerentially spaced apart by distances corresponding to the address positions, addressing mechanism providing a iixed addressing position and having means for applying repetitions of the same address to any one bill form and diierent addresses to diil'erent bill forms when they are in the addressing'position, the combination therewith of bill-form positioning means which positions different predetermined parts of any bill form in the same addressing position and each bill form in the same predetermined position with respect to a predetermined vdata printing form, said positioning'. means including bill-form advancing means and a plurality o i bill-form positioning members spaced apart by distances corresponding to the spacing between said different predetermined parts of the bill form and also to the spacing between the printing forms and successively operable to halt the advance ot the bill form while the addresses are being applied thereto, one of said positioning tov dressingl means `for applying repetitions of the s same address on any one bill and different addresses on diii'erent bills, printing means for printing the same data on all bills. and billiorm positioning means for positioning the same parts of all successive bill iorms in the same positions in both the addressing and the printing means so that the addresses and printed data are in the same unchanging registration in all bill forms and possibility of cumulative error is avoided.

HARMON P. EILIO'I'I. 

